A regional workshop held in Accra on 6 November 2026 has been credited with boosting the digitalisation of port operations across nine West and Central African countries, sources indicated. The event was organised by the International Maritime organisation, the Africa Transport Policy Program and the World Bank, in partnership with the Ghana Maritime Authority.
The report said the Accra gathering brought together representatives from the nine countries to address the roll-out of digital measures for ports. Organisers described the initiative as a concerted regional effort to accelerate uptake of maritime digitalisation in the subregion.
The International Maritime organisation, the Africa Transport Policy Program and the World Bank shared organisational responsibility for the workshop. The Ghana Maritime Authority participated as the local partner and host institution for the event in Accra.
according to reports item, the workshop aimed to promote the adoption of digital tools and practices within the participating ports. The report identified that promoting adoption was among the key aims set out for the regional initiative.
Speakers and participants, the report said, discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between national authorities and regional bodies. The Accra meeting was presented as part of a wider push to co-ordinate digitalisation efforts among neighbouring states.
The source noted that the programme targeted nine West and Central African countries but did not list them by name. The event’s regional scope was positioned as a central feature of the workshop’s design.
Regional collaboration
Sources described the meeting in Accra as a platform for exchange among governments and regional agencies. The report emphasised the joint organisation of the workshop by international and regional actors as a sign of multi‑agency commitment.
The Ghana Maritime Authority’s role as partner and host was singled out in the account, which recorded Accra as the locus for the regional discussions on maritime digitalisation.
Reported aims and direction
The published summary highlighted that promoting adoption was a stated objective of the workshop. The report framed that objective within the context of a co‑ordinated regional approach, carried out under the joint auspices of the listed organisations.
The report presented the Accra event as part of an ongoing international engagement with West and Central African maritime authorities.
The published account did not provide a detailed list of participants or a full breakdown of the nine countries involved. It also did not publish a schedule of follow‑up activities in the source material supplied for verification.
The Maritime Gazette will monitor further announcements from the International Maritime organisation, the Africa Transport Policy Program, the World Bank and the Ghana Maritime Authority for additional detail on implementation and participating states.